Part for knitting machines



Aug. 7, 1945. DE HART G. SCRANTOM 3 3 PART FOR KNITTING MACHINES FiledAug. 25, 1945 BY a?" v I I Patented Aug. 7, 1945 1 NITED STATES PATENTOFFICE PART FOR KNITTING MACHINES De Hart G. Scrantom, Maplewood, N..1., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application August 25, 1943, Serial No.499,878

, 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-116) This invention relates to parts for knittingmachines and has for its object the provision of new and improved partsfor knitting machines.

In knitting machines, jacks which hold knitting needles and raise andlower the needles are provided with needle-receiving slots. In jacksheretofore known, these slots and needles held thereby become worn afterthey have been in use for some time, thereby permitting movement betweenthe needles and the jacks, which often causes the needles to strike thethread guide and become broken.

One structure embodying the invention comprises a jack having a notchformed therein for receiving a nib on a knitting needle to resilientlyhold the needle and also provided with an elongated slot connecting withthe notch which gives the lips of the notch suflicient resiliency toengage the nib at all times and hold the needle firmly in place.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description when read in conjunction with thedrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view in partial sectionof one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along the line 22 inFig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view in partial section of an alternativeembodiment of the invention.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a. Jack has a notchl formed in one s end thereof[ The jack is also provided with anelongated slot 12 extending inwardly from the notch 11 terminating in acircular aperture 13. Jaws l4 and 15 formed upon the end of the jack 10by the notch II are resiliently movable with respect to each other byreason of the slot I2 and the aperture 13. Except for the abovedescribed features. the jack ID is of conventionaldesign.

A needle 16 of conventional design having a nib l8 also of conventionaldesign formed thereon, is slidably mounted in the usual manner in a slot19 formed in a block 20 comprising a part of aknitting machine. Surface21 and 22 formed on the jaws l4 and 15,.respectively, are complementaryto and bear against surfaces 24 and 25 formed on the nib IB-when thelatter is positioned thercbetween.

After the jaws l4 and 15 have been drawn apart and the nib l8 insertedtherebetween, the

shown) to cause the needle to engage and disengage a strand to form aknitted fabric in accordance with the usual operation of knittingmachines.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention,

which is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, a reciprocating jack 40 hasformed therein an L- shaped notch 41 and an elongated slot 42 con-'nected with the notch 41 and a circular aperture 43 to form jaws 44 and45 thereon. The jack 40 is similar to the jack H1 except for theconfiguration of the notch 41 and the jaws 44 and 45.

A needle 46 having an L-shaped nib 41, which includes a projection 48,formed on the lower end thereof, is similar to the needle l5 except forthe nib 41 and is reciprocably mounted in a slot 49 formed in a block50. The block 50 and the slot 49 formed therein are of conventionaldesign and are similar'to the slot 19 and'the block 20. The jaws 44 and45 have surfaces 52 and 53 formed thereon which are complementary tosurfaces 54 and 55 formed on the nib 41.

In assembling the needle 46 and the jack 40,

the jaws 44 and 45 are opened sufficiently to in-.

sert the nib 41 into the notch 41 and the jaws 44 and 45 are released tofirmly and resiliently grip the nib 41 with the surfaces 52 and 53 ofthe jaws bearing against the surfaces 54 and 55 of the nib 41, therebypreventing play between the needle and the jack. If the needle 46 shouldbe twisted during the knitting operation, projection 48 strikes the jaw44 and prevents the nib 41 from being twisted out of the notch 41.If.the

jaw 44 and 45 or the nib 41 become worn, the resiliency of the jaws willnevertheless cause the jaws to firmly grasp the nib 41 and preventrelative movement therebetween, and thereby prevent breakage of theneedle.

It will be readily seen that the constructions ting needle, whichcomprises an arm having an orthogonal notch formed in one end thereof toform a, pair of jaws having straight gripping surfaces for gripping astraight surfaced nib of a knitting needle, and also being provided withan elongated slot Connecting with the notch to give the jaws sufilcientresilience to firmly grip the nib.

2. A jack for holding a nib of a knitting needle, which comprises an armhaving an oblong notch formed in the end thereof to form jaws forgrasping a nib of a knitting needle positioned in said notch and. alsoprovided with an elongated slot to give the jaws resiliency, said jawshaving surfaces formed thereon complementary to surfaces formed on thenib.

3. A jack for holding a nib of a knitting needle, which comprises an armhaving an L-shaped notch formed therein to form a pair of jaws forclamping an L-shaped nib of a knitting needle positioned in said notch,and also provided with an elongated slot connected with said notch toprovide the jaws with sufficient resilience to firmly grasp the nibtherebetween.

4. A jack for holding knitting needles, which comprises an arm having anL-shaped notch formed therein to form a pair of jaws for clamping anL-shaped-nib of a knitting needle therebetween, the base of saidL-shaped notch fitting closely around the end of the nib so as toprevent longitudinal twisting of the needle with'respect to the jaws.

- 5. In a knitting machine, the combination of a knitting needlecomprising a shank having an L-shaped nib formed thereon, and a jackhaving an arm formed thereon, said arm having an L- shaped notch formedtherein to form a pair of jaws complementary to said L-shaped nib forholding the nib and for preventing longitudinal twisting of the needlewith respect to the jaws.

6. In a knitting machine, the combination of a knitting needlecomprising a shank having an L-shaped nib formed on one end thereof, anda jack comprising an arm having an L-shaped notch formed in the endthereof for receiving the nib of the knitting needle and having anelongated slot therein connected with said notch to cause the sides ofthe notch to resiliently engage said nib.

7. A jack for holding nibs of knitting needles, which comprises an armhaving a notch therein forming a pair of jaws, said notch havingstraight sides at the mouth thereof .to provide straight grippingsurfaces at the ends of the jaws, said arm also being provided with aslot extending from the notch to give the jaws resiliency.

DE HART G. SCRANTOM.

